12.2.2015   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 36/11

(1)

Commission Decision 2007/777/EC (2) lays down animal and public health rules for imports into the Union and the transit and storage in the Union of consignments of meat products, treated stomachs, bladders and intestines, as defined in Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council (3).

(2)

Part 2 of Annex II to that Decision sets out a list of third countries or parts thereof from which the introduction into the Union of those commodities is authorised, provided that they have undergone the relevant treatment as set out in Part 4 of that Annex.

(3)

Israel is listed in Part 2 of Annex II to Decision 2007/777/EC as authorised, inter alia, for the introduction into the Union of meat products and treated stomachs, bladders and intestines for human consumption obtained from poultry, farmed feathered game and wild game birds, which have undergone a non-specific treatment (‘treatment A’).

(4)

In June 2014, the Commission's Food and Veterinary Office carried out an audit in Israel to evaluate the animal health controls for poultry and poultry products intended for export to the Union (‘the 2014 audit’).

(5)

Several important shortcomings in relation to disease control measures for Newcastle disease and veterinary certification for poultry commodities intended for introduction into the Union were identified by the 2014 audit which were swiftly addressed by Israel.

(6)

Despite efforts and some improvements on biosecurity and other preventive measures for Newcastle disease carried out by Israel in recent years, outbreaks of that disease continue to regularly occur both in the backyard and in the commercial poultry sectors and that disease will most likely not be fully controlled and eradicated in the near future.

(7)

Due to the persistence of the Newcastle disease virus in Israel and continued outbreaks in commercial poultry flocks, it is necessary to provide for better guarantees for the safety of the introduction of poultry commodities from Israel to the Union.

(8)

The current ‘treatment A’, which does not prescribe to reach any particular temperature during the processing, prescribed for Israel in Decision 2007/777/EC is insufficient to eliminate animal health risks linked to the introduction into the Union of meat products and treated stomachs, bladders and intestines for human consumption obtained from meat of poultry, farmed ratites and wild game birds given the current epidemiological situation for Newcastle disease in that country.

(9)

Part 2 of Annex II to Decision 2007/777/EC should therefore be amended in order to require the more severe ‘treament D’ meaning that the commodities must be processed at a minimum temperature of 70 °C throughout the commodity in order to inactivate any possible Newcastle disease virus present in the raw material.

(10)

Due to the animal health situation in Israel it is also foreseen that for the introduction of other poultry commodities covered by Commission Regulation (EC) No 798/2008 (4) from that country to the Union to introduce restrictions of the introduction or additional animal health requirements including laboratory testing in order to improve the guarantees for such commodities by an amendment to this act.

(11)

Annex II to Commission Decision 2000/572/EC (5) sets out the model animal and public health certificate for meat preparations intended for consignment to the European Community from third countries and Annex III provides for a model certificate for transit and storage of meat preparations. In accordance with Part I of the Notes set out in those model certificates, the commodities to be imported or transited through the Union should be described by including a reference to the relevant HS codes 02.10, 16.01 and 16.02.

(12)

However, certain foodstuff of poultry origin which are defined as meat preparations are not covered by those HS codes. In order to allow the correct certification of those products the HS code 02.07 needs to be added in Part 1 of the Notes in the model animal and public health certificate for meat preparations intended for consignment to the Euroepan Community from third countries and the model for transit and storage of meat preparations.

(13)

In order to avoid unnecessary disruptions to trade, this Decision should provide for a transitional period to permit the introduction into the Union of consignments of meat products and treated stomachs, bladders and intestines for human consumption obtained from poultry, farmed feathered game and wild game birds as well as consignments of meat preparations produced, sent or on their way to the Union before the entry into force of this Decision.

(14)

For the sake of market transparency and in accordance with public international law, it should be clarified that the territorial coverage of the certificates is limited to the territory of the State of Israel excluding the territories under Israeli administration since June 1967, namely the Golan Heights, the Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank, which should be indicated in Part 2 of Annex II.

(15)

Decisions 2000/572/EC and 2007/777/EC and should therefore be amended accordingly.

(16)

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,